New Attitude

You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had, who though He existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking on the form of a slave, by looking like other men, and by sharing in human nature.  He humbled Himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death-even death on a cross!  Philippians 2:5-8

I was driving back to Knoxville after a meeting in Maryville yesterday around lunch time when a fairly large tow truck pulled out onto Alcoa Highway in front of me nearly causing a collision.  Luckily, I remembered that my car had a Cokesbury Church magnet on my back bumper or I would have probably reacted a bit more harshly.  There was a steady stream of traffic yesterday and I am sure the driver of the tow truck had grown impatient in waiting, but to risk a major accident is just uncalled for.  It's no wonder the number of "Road Rage" cases in the United States keeps growing larger and larger each and every year.

Twenty years ago, "Road Rage" wasn't even a commonly known phrase.  So what's happened?  Are we so used to having things instantly that we have forgotten what it is like to be patient and actually have to wait for something?  Coming from the horrid driving conditions I became accustomed to when we lived in Atlanta, the driving conditions in Knoxville aren’t really that bad.  Unfortunately, far too many people have no consideration for other people on the road nowadays.  Mix that together with advances in modern technology and we as a society don't understand the meaning of steadfastness or patience.  I believe that some of us even have a God-complex of our own. "My schedule is the only one that matters."  "I must get to where I am going, who cares about the person I just cut off on the exit ramp."  Sound familiar?

Take Paul's words about Jesus' attitude to heart...here is the Son of God, the One who can summon all the angels in heaven at any given moment, walking among us on this earth, going through the same struggles and trials that we all deal with to this very day. 

Jesus did not regard equality with God as something to be grasped.  Even more amazing, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death on the cross! You can't make this stuff up...He was, is, and will always be the genuine article.  His attitude is the one we should all try and replicate in our own lives.  I need to remember this the next time I sit behind the wheel of my car to drive, or when my wife calls me to see how my day is going, or when things are not going the way I'd like them to at the office, and so on and so on....imagine how different things would be if we had Jesus' attitude!

Your Time Is Gonna Come

“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace.  In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage-I have conquered the world.”  -Jesus Christ (John 16:33)

If you are at all like me, you like to work things out before their respective times have come.  It’s human nature to think ahead and plan for such; it’s ingrained in much of our thinking as we are all taught this by the world.  We must learn to live in the present day, and as difficult as it is, learn to accept the limitations of each day. 

We must focus on the agenda for each day and this requires us seeking our loving Father to know what is part of His plan for us-remembering that there is a time for everything.   A life focused on God’s Presence is not complicated; it’s one that is full of peace knowing that Jesus has overcome and conquered this messy world that we live in.  Thanks be to God!

Stay Strong

All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.  We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need.  Colossians 1: 10-11

This week is not even over yet but has certainly been one of patience and waiting for a various number of reasons.   Most of everything I seem to be waiting on is out of my control, so I have had no other choice but to rely on God through faithful and hopeful prayers.

The truth is that we all have the fuel we need to persevere in this life through the never-ending power of God that is working in each of us.  As we become more obedient and more in tune with our loving Father, His power will strengthen us and ignite our abilities to persevere.

The best news is that we don’t just endure with God’s help, but we persevere with joy!  Thanks be to God!!!

Good Thing

The communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.  Philemon 1:6

We all have someone in our lives-a family member, a friend, a neighbor, or a co-worker, that seems to be down and out and full of negativity.  The truth is that God never intended for His children to act this way.  You see, the communication of our faith is made effectual by acknowledging every good thing that is in you through Christ Jesus, not by rambling on about everything that is wrong with you.

The enemy wants us to spend every waking moment of our lives pondering how awful we are.  He will stop at nothing to direct our focus from who we are in Christ to all of our many shortcomings.  His intentions are for us to believe that because of our faults, we are worthless.

There is a saying that we should “count our blessings.”  We should count our blessings and we also need to remember that we are a new creation in Jesus Christ and an ongoing work in progress.  Start acknowledging the good things that are inside of you because of Jesus Christ.

Even It Up

Dear friends, never take revenge.  Leave that to the righteous anger of God.  For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord.  Romans 12:19

I must admit that I am writing this the day after watching “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.”  Just like the popular ABC television show, “Revenge,” I found myself also rooting for the main character, Lisbeth Salander, as she sought revenge on the legal guardian that sexually abused her earlier in the film. 

Seeking revenge is a basic instinct of our sinful nature.  Whether we are cut off by someone in traffic or treated unfairly by a coworker or neighbor, our gut response is revenge.  God makes it clear that vengeance should be left to him alone.

He promises to make all wrongs right and to rid this world of evil on Judgment Day.  For a moment, think about Jesus as He hung from the cross, dying an excruciating and brutal death.  Imagine how the disciples that witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion first hand must have wanted to seek revenge. 

Jesus gives us all the best example of responding to injustice by responding with patience and kindness and leaving the punishment and judgment to His Father.

Too Much Time On My Hands

You were wearied with the length of your way in trying to find rest and satisfaction in alliance apart from the true God, yet you did not say, there is no result or profit.  Isaiah 57:10

We have a close friend who always seems to complain about not having enough time to do everything they want to do.  Boy, have I used that excuse many times before!?!  It's not that we don't have enough time, it's just that our simple lives have become too complex in doing trivial things that eat away at our schedules.  How or when does life move away from being simple to something so complex?  I believe that it is relative to where we are in our journey. 

I remember thinking how stressful my life was during college; having to balance showing up for class in between Phish and Widespread Panic shows, going out four and five nights a week, waiting tables, and working as a disc jockey.  Looking back, I really had it made!  I didn't have the pressures of performing in my career and a family to support.  Then again, I wasn't exactly walking the straight and narrow path either, but that's another story for another day.

The above verse from Isaiah states "You are wearied out through the multiplicity of your ways."   It is widely accepted in today's society that more is always better, but at what cost?  Are we truly following God's will for our lives when we are so busy filling our days with our self-centered agendas?  I believe the answer is a resounding "NO."

Instead of making everything difficult and centered around ourselves, we should simplify and enjoy the peace and satisfaction that comes from following God's plan for our lives.  

"Fear, mismanaged, leads to sin.  Sin leads to hiding.  Since we've all sinned, we all hide, not in bushes, but in eighty-hour workweeks, temper tantrums, and religious busyness.  We avoid contact with God." -Max Lucado

Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own

I look up toward the hills.  From where does my help come?  My help comes from the Lord, the Creator of heaven and earth!  The Lord is your protector; the Lord is the shade at your right hand.  The sun will not harm you by day, or the moon by night.  Psalm 121:1-2,5-6

Have you ever wondered why we sometimes experience unrest when we are alone?  Some people in desperation move in and out of relationships to fill the void of emptiness.  Others fill the void with substances like drugs and alcohol.  In my journey, I have been guilty of all of the above until I realized that I was created to be in fellowship with God.  In fact, all of us are created to be in fellowship with our loving Father.

Simply put, God did not make us to go through life on our own; He wants us to have relationships with other people, but the number one relationship He wants us to enjoy is one with Him.  When we attempt to have our needs met apart from God, our efforts are futile and lead only to major disappointment and despair.  God is the only One who is capable of filling the emptiness of the human heart.

Only God can meet our deepest longings and needs for the love that we all need.

Help!

Since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude He had, and be ready to suffer, too.  For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.  1 Peter 4:1

Have you ever been asked to do something or set out to achieve something but felt like giving up?  I know have before and there are things that I still regret I unfortunately never completed.  When God calls us to a task, we should especially not give up.  Not only would you miss the blessing of finishing and reaching your goal, but not trusting God's promise may result in some sort of loving discipline from Him as well.

Just because God wants or asks you to do something does not mean that it will be easy.  The more important the task, the higher degree of difficulty it will often become.  Don't give up when the going gets tough.  Keep moving forward in faith; God is good to His people and will always answer the call to help!

Indiscipline

My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son."  Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.  For what son is not disciplined by his father?  Hebrews 12: 6-8

I am not a betting man, but I bet today’s scripture and Daily DEVO will be the least read or 'liked' post on my Facebook page this week.  Why?  Well, it's because the topic of discipline is simply not very popular with most folks.  As a father, I do not enjoy disciplining our children, however, I do it because I love them and want to ensure that they both learn right from wrong and grow up into being fine young men. 

Who loves a child more-the father who allows a child to do something that will cause the child harm or the father that corrects and trains his child and then punishes the child to help teach the child right from wrong? 

If you ever need proof or confirmation that God loves you, look back into your past and the recognize the times where God has lovingly corrected you.  His discipline is a sign of His undying love for each one of us and confirms that He is indeed treating us as His sons! 

Praise be to God, who disciplines those He loves!

How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You

Beloved, if God loved us so very much, we also ought to love one another.  1 John 4:11

As believers in the body of faith, what a blessing it is to be loved by God.  The problem for a lot of Christians is that we tend to hoard our love away rather than follow God’s will for our lives and give it away.  In fact, we are to love others unconditionally just as has He loved us.

There is not one person on this earth that does not desire to be loved and to find acceptance.  God’s love is the most wonderful gift He could possibly give to any of us.  We all have the privilege to share that love by letting it flow through us into the lives of others.

Many people enjoy ‘getting’ but real joy is found by ‘giving.’  Do you remember those Pez candy dispensers?  We all need to be like a Pez dispenser in the sense that people come to us as a dispensary of blessings and love.

It is comforting to know that we are loveable, now it is up to us to share that love with someone else!

You Can't Change That

God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.  1 John 4:16

Unlike what the world offers us, God does not love us, accept us, or forgive us based upon our performance.  He doesn’t play favorites either.  He does not love the more beautiful people more than the plain.  He doesn’t favor the rich and famous over the poor and unknown.  He doesn’t choose the high achievers over the low achievers.  In fact, there is nothing you can do, regarding status, appearance, or performance, that will possibly elevate you one inch in God’s eyes.

Our loving Father accepts us because we come to Him believing in Jesus Christ as the One who has paid the full price for our sins.  He loves us, because He created each of us, and has chosen to love us from the moment He first though of us and there is nothing you can do to change that!

Success Yourself

The Holy Spirit...bears us up in our weakness.  Romans 8:26


I can't help but to notice how much Elliott tries his hardest to 'fit in' with some of his older buddies. The more I think about it, we are not too different as adults. Think of how many people project false images of themselves through social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter every day.


The truth is, I am tired of playing games and trying to be someone that I am not. There is a lot of freedom in just being accepted as we are without being facing the pressures of being someone we just cannot be.


God wants us to accept ourselves for who we are, and wants us to actually like who we are, despite our weaknesses. Everyone has weaknesses, but we must realize that God will never reject us because of them.


We must also be careful of placing too much value on our weaknesses because we will then underestimate our value. Our worth is not based on anything good or bad that we have ever done/are doing/will do, but on what God has already done.


We were purchased at a high price and yes we have all disappointed God, but God will never abandon us because He loves us just the way we are. So tell Satan to 'stuff it' the next time Satan tries to convince you that you don't measure up to standards!

Faithfully

The Lord rewarded me for doing right.  He has seen my innocence.  To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity.  To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.  2 Samuel 22:25-27

Faithfulness is a bride and groom on their wedding day making their vows to each other to remain faithfully committed to each other.  Faithfulness is being committed to always love your children as a parent.  Faithfulness is being dependable to your neighbors and friends.  Faithfulness is giving your very best at work.

Being faithful originated from our Loving Father...time and time again through the ages, He has shown His faithfulness to His people.

There is no substitute for the security in a relationship that stems from faithfulness and there is nothing that builds our confidence and eternal security more than knowing that God will always remain faithful to us!

Canary In A Coalmine

May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.  2 Thessalonians 3:5

Recently, in seeking God's wisdom and guidance about a situation, I began to grow tired and frustrated because I just couldn't seem to hear an answer.  In fact, I felt like I was hearing other people's insight, but not God's.  It finally dawned on me that I was neglecting an important aspect of my faith walk by not digging deeper into the Word, hence the reason I was not feeling God's nudge either way. 

God can and will speak His truths into our lives if we allow Him to.  When seeking Him, He will always move us closer to His will and His never ending love.  He always leads us to what is right, never wrong, and His answers to our prayers are clear cut, definitive, and absolute. 

If you think you can truly seek God by only showing up to church on Sundays or just praying your personal wish list, save yourself some time and frustration by incorporating God's Word into your daily routine.

The Seeker

You will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.  Deuteronomy 4:29

Being a creature of habit, I like to keep to my same and familiar routines in the mornings.  Feeling somewhat convicted about not seeking God more by spending time in His Word, I read Luke 11 yesterday morning and, as always, that verse was exactly the one I needed for the day that awaited me. 

To seek God means to pursue Him as the only source of definitive truth and wisdom.  Instead of letting our problems pile up and seeking God out of desperation, how different would our lives be if we sought Him first and foremost in all matters?

To seek God and His way puts us on the path of a life that is blessed and pleasing to Him.

If You Leave Me Now

“My God, why have you forsaken me?” –Jesus Christ (Matthew 27:46)

This past Sunday, we heard one of our pastors at Cokesbury Church, Jason Gattis, deliver a great message in our sermon series based upon Jesus’ final words from the cross.  To put the Scripture into context, Jesus spoke the above words from Matthew 27 after He had been nailed to the cross for well over nine hours.  These words are certainly perplexing as one would wonder how God’s beloved Son could be forsaken.  I believe that it was in those final moments on the cross that Jesus suffered spiritual agony as He was bearing the guilt of the world on Himself by becoming sin for all of mankind. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

There are have been many circumstances in where I have felt like I, too, was forsaken or that God had abandoned me, but the reality is, God has NEVER left my side and NEVER will.  If you have ever felt this way, please understand that God is bigger than any circumstance you can ever possibly face in your lifetime.  More importantly, as believers in the body of faith, we also must learn to live above our circumstances as well. 

Doing this will require us to spend more ‘focused’ time with Christ who is the One who overcame this world.  When we live in His presence, we are set free from the bondage to trouble and anxiety that is common in the world and little by little we lifted up above our circumstances.  We also begin to see our lives from Jesus’ perspective which, in turn, helps us to discern what is important an what is not. 

Rest in the peaceful presence of our Loving Father knowing that he will never leave us or forsake us; we can all live with a joy that can never be taken away from us!

Everyday I Write The Book

“Stop your striving and recognize that I am God!  I will be exalted over the nations!  I will be exalted over the earth!”  Psalm 46:10

God sure has a way of speaking to me, as stubborn as I am, by hitting me with the same truth(s) over and over again.  The past month has been a wonderful time of Spiritual growth for me and the reoccurring themes that I have been focusing on are: ‘giving up control’ and ‘yielding to God.’  Almost daily, I have either read or heard something regarding the subject matter of  ‘letting go and letting God.’

The key to giving up control in your life and submitting to God requires us to be patient and wait while remaining hopeful and trusting.  These virtues do not come easy for me as I would like to have some say over matters or keep a  false sense of belief that I am actually in control of my life.  The truth is our strength is found in our weakness and our patience in waiting for Christ to do His work is evidence that we honestly do trust Him. 

Hoping is directly tied to our future inheritance in heaven, but the benefits of hope can be experienced in the present.  Instead of trying to manipulate or ‘control’ every aspect of our lives, we must learn to just live each day simply looking for or just being aware of His presence.  Your eyes will be opened to a whole new world realizing that God is the one who is in control and his plans are for our good!

To be continued….

St. Judy's Comet

"Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching." Proverbs 1:8

Our oldest son, Elliott, is the master of prolonging the process of going to bed every night.  It’s hard for me to get upset with him as I only require minimal hours of sleep each night to this very day.  Last night around 9:00 PM I heard footsteps in the upstairs hallway and when I finally got off the sofa to check on him, caught Elliott sitting down on the stairwell.  He was somewhat embarrassed that I caught him sneaking around after we had put him to bed for the night, so I sat down on the stairwell and just talked with him.  When asked what he was still doing up, He simply replied, “Daddy, I am not tired.”  In a calm manner, I suggested that he get back into bed so that Mommy didn’t hear him and he finally fell asleep a few moments later.    

Just like a young child has trouble understanding the importance of a good night’s rest, we too are in constant battle with God for control over our lives.  Just like a loving parent, God is always communicating with us and for us to hear what He is trying to tell us, we must seek Him above all else in our lives.

You see, anything we single-mindedly pursue without talking to God about first, will most likely be in vein.  We must allow the Light of His Presence shine on all of our pursuits so that we can receive His help for the plans He has made for us or allow Him to change the desires of our hearts. 

If we seek Him first and foremost, the rest of our lives will fall into place!

Helpless

Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3

Thankfully, I have never experienced a near-death encounter first hand, but something that always interests me are the interviews following some bizarre set of circumstances in which people have survived the unimaginable.

Living a “Spirit-filled” life begins with the realization that we are absolutely helpless and hopeless without the power of the Holy Spirit.  Until we have an understanding that God is in total control of our lives and everything else in the universe, we will never experience the true power of the Holy Spirit that dwells within each believer. 

When we don't draw our strength from the Holy Spirit, we only use our strength and for that reason, we work in vein.  It may not take us experiencing some near fatal accident or miracle to understand that God is in control and we are helpless, but God is an expert at creating circumstances so that we find ourselves completely dependent on Him.

Hold Your Head High

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.  Psalm 42:5

Depression is one of the most common emotional ailments today.  In fact, there are more medications on the market to treat depression than almost any other disease.  Occasionally, there are times where I tend to feel a little ‘down and out’ about my current set of circumstances and it's easy to feel like God is distant and begin to lose hope.

One antidote for feeling 'down' is to meditate on all of God's wonderful  blessings and never-ending goodness that is recorded throughout the Bible. 

It gives me hope to read about His promises and reminds me that God is who He says He is. Scripture also gives me proper perspective and helps me to focus my thoughts on God's ability to help me rather than on my inability to help myself.  That, my friends, is a good thing!!

Thorn In My Pride

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me...For when I am weak, I am strong.  2 Corinthians 12: 9-10

Just like Paul, we all have an area of weakness, or a "thorn in the flesh," as is mentioned in an earlier verse from this same passage of Scripture. We do not know exactly what Paul's "thorn in the flesh" was, but it was something that caused the apostle to remain humble and stay in constant contact with God.

Too many people often claim that "trouble makes you stronger." I tend to disagree. Once we recognize our limitations, we must rely on Christ for our strength.  We must rely on God for our effectiveness rather than depending on our own energy and individual efforts.

I have faced many situations that have left me feeling completely helpless, weak, and humbled.  I had no choice but to rely on Christ for His strength and He certainly carried me through and still is carrying me to this very day. 

Allow God to fill you with His power and you will be stronger than you ever can be on your own.

Think

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing you into a new person by changing the way you think.  The you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good pleasing and perfect.  Romans 12:2

This week was not any different from any other week for me at work or at home, but for whatever reasons, I had a hard time replying to some personal emails I had received throughout the week and I felt guilty for not returning phone calls to a couple of friends that only wanted to catch up with me.  Sometimes I feel like I have found the perfect balance in my life, and other times, I feel like the demands of my daily schedule are unmanageable. 

Jesus modeled the perfect example of a life balanced between socializing and solitude, action and reflection, hard work and spiritual revitalization, and mission and meditation.  His pace allowed for Him to be guided by God’s perfect will instead of caving into the pressures of this world.  When you live a balanced life, you realize that every need and every opportunity are not necessarily the things God is calling you to do. 

We must allow God to change our thinking to reflect His thinking and He will show us what to do and not to do.  When we let Him direct our steps, we can then live according to His priorities and His will!

Always Something There To Remind Me

Remember the things I have done in the past.  For I alone am God!  I am God and there is none like me.  Isaiah 46:9

If you are at all like me, it’s easy to forget about things that aren’t important to me, so I am constantly trying to make sure that God is the most important thing in my life.  When I look back and remember how God has worked in my life before, it makes me come to Him first when I need help in the present.

There are several ways, in addition to remembering the work God has done in our past, to help keep our focus on Him today…

When we have a sense of community, we are more likely to share what God has done and is doing in our lives with others.  Reading His Word also helps us to gain a perspective of how He has worked throughout history and His plans to share His many blessings with future generations. 

When we take these simple steps, we help ourselves acknowledge God’s hand in the past, present, and the future!

Rescue Me

The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.  I will protect those who trust in my name.  When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble.  I will rescue and honor them.  I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”  Psalm 91:14-16

It’s hard for me not to feel a sense of peace and comfort when reading the above scripture from Psalms.

Simply stated, God loves us because he made us.  Contrary to some schools of thought, we are not just creatures that randomly evolved, but are instead created in God’s image so that we could have a relationship with Him. 

God does not only want a relationship with ‘church people’ or the religious elite; but with ALL people.  Yes, you read that last statement correctly, the Creator of the Universe desires your love and friendship and is, in fact, pursuing it now. 

We must stop running from Him and discover the purpose in which He made us. 

Under Control

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-which is your spiritual worship.  Romans 12:1

Our 4.5 year old son is into a variety of different toys, such as Legos and Transformers, that are somewhat complex for a kid his age.  The Transformers are pretty cool, but are even difficult for an old veteran like myself to actually transform from a vehicle or aircraft mode to a robot and vice versa.  The other day, I was helping our son transform his vast collection of robots and he grew impatient with me and wanted to help.  I kept telling him to be careful as he was forcing the plastic toy to where it would eventually break if he was not more careful.  After repeated attempts, he managed to break the arm off of one of the Autobots and was very disappointed.  I was eventually able to repair the broken toy and was also provided the opportunity of teaching our son a valuable lesson.  In fact, I learned a lesson from this incident as well…

You see, if you are at all like me, you have no problem giving God control over the ‘big’ or ‘important’ areas of your life.  I struggle, at times, to give God control over the small and day-to-day things.  I can face a number of situations and foolishly try and convince myself, “You’ve got this, Will” or ”I can handle this on my own, God” and end up royally screwing everything up along the way.  Just like our son did with his broken toy, I will proceed to turn things over to God so that He can fix or repair the same things I thought I had under control.  

We must ask God to take control of our lives each and every day. One we have admitted our powerlessness and inability to manage our lives, we must come to a place in our faith where we decide to turn our will and lives over to God’s loving care.

Acknowledge the need for God’s guidance in our lives.  When He becomes our new manager, we must also choose to accept life on His terms as well.  God offers us a way to live that is free from our past, allowing us to enjoy new and wonderful experiences in accordance to His good and perfect will for our lives.  Thanks be to God!

Gotta Serve Somebody

"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat ; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink ; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.'  "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink ?  'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?  'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' Matthew 25:34-40

God has really been working on the true motives of my heart lately.  What is my purpose here on this earth?  A lot of energy revolves around my family.  Much of it is focused on my career.  I know I that I would like to change the world, but as selfless as some of the mentioned items are, they are futile. 

You see,  the only goal of lasting value and fulfillment is actually serving Christ.  As followers, we should all aim to model our lives after Him and Him alone.  Christ, the King of all Kings, did not come to this earth to be served, but to serve.

When you look at what some believers have accomplished with God’s help, it’s truly remarkable.  The Bible is filled with stories of everyday people doing extraordinary things with God’s supernatural intervention.  I believe we all like to make excuses for not tapping into the power of the Holy Spirit more often…we may feel like we don’t have enough experience or we have the wrong set of skills for the task at hand, but we must remember that God will provide us with the right words to say, the ability, and the circumstances so that we can achieve all He wants done.

We must live our lives every day in such a way that we yield to God’s will and allow Him to provide us with what we need for today and today alone. 

(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding

A man's steps are directed by the Lord.  How can anyone understand his own way?  Proverbs 20:24

If you are at all like me, then you like to have an understanding of things.  For instance, at work, I want to be as prepared as I possibly can be prior to a meeting.  I don't like the unknown during a client/prospect presentation or enrollment meeting in front of a group of employees.  I also enjoy pondering the meaning of life; why things happen the way they do and so forth.  The more I learn about God's ways, the less I realize I truly understand.

Events that take place can be confusing at times.  There are many things that we simply may never understand, others will fall into place and we will be able to look back and see how God worked in certain situations.  The above Proverb assures us not to worry, even if we don't have all of the answers.  We must learn to accept that God knows what He is doing and learn to have complete confidence in Him, even if we don't have a clear understanding of His timing and design.

God's promises are real and they always work together for His good; despite our understanding! 

Enjoy The Silence

When you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private.  Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.  Matthew 6:6

Moments of peace and quiet are very rare for me these days, especially with children.  If it's not loud toys, video games, singing or playing, there is almost always some kind of noise inside the walls of our home.  Finding a quiet moments to pray requires a commitment of waking up extra early in the morning time.

Jesus often retreated to pray in solitude after speaking to large crowds, teaching His disciples or performing miracles.  He knew the value of spending those quiet moments in conversation with His Father.

Regardless of how hectic and busy our lives are, we must always save some time to be still and quiet so that we may hear God's voice.  Even if it's a few quick seconds a day in the car or even in the bathroom, find the time to enjoy His presence every day...He promises to hear you and will reward you!

Old Neighborhood

Love your neighbor as yourself.  Matthew 22:39

Along my journey, I have been blessed with some wonderful neighbors in all of the various places I have lived.  Many of those neighbors have also become lifelong friends that I absolutely treasure.  It’s made it particularly hard to move to another part of town or different city/state.  The same holds true here in Knoxville and one of the most appealing parts of the neighborhood for our family are the people who make up our community.

Jesus said that loving your neighbor as yourself is the second greatest commandment, after loving God with all of your heart.  That must make neighborly love pretty important, right?

We all have a natural and fleshly instinct to look after ourselves first, but it's when we look to meet the needs of others like it's ourselves that we begin to fulfill Jesus' commandment.

This world is in desperate need of love.  This can't be overstated enough.  Love directed inward is useless, but love directed outward can help change this world one person at a time!

Leap of Faith

There is no fear in love; but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love.  1 John 4:18

Have you ever began to step out in faith and do something or go somewhere new or make a new commitment, but the thought of actually going through with it caused you to be gripped with fear?  There have been numerous occasions during my life that I can recall being scared out of my mind about taking a leap of faith.  One of the biggest leaps of faith that any man or woman can take is marriage-it's a lifelong commitment and covenant with God.  Another huge leap of faith is becoming a parent and having children.  Making a career move with another company or taking a different position with your current organization certainly requires a leap of faith too.   

I can say from experience that Alicia and I basically decided that facing only one major lifestyle change was not enough; she became pregnant with our first born only after a few months of marriage and I left the company I was working for in Atlanta to follow a new career path in Knoxville, TN.  There were many moments of doubt, anxiousness, and fear during the first couple of years of our marriage, but God was faithful and has been by our side every single step of the way.

If we trust that God is He who He says He is, shouldn't we have nothing to fear?  Sure, but that's easier said than done.  Satan is the master of creating doubt in our minds so that you become fearful of trusting God and then paralyzed in our efforts to make progress or go through with something.

Our best defense is staying grounded in His Word.  There is much power in reading God's story of love and faithfulness to His people.  God's promises that He "will not fail you or forsake you" in Deuteronomy 31:6.

So the next time Satan tries to discourage you or scare you to take a leap of faith, find your strength and power in His Word.  He is good to His people and will NEVER break His promise to deliver you....

Good Times, Bad Times

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.  But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.  1 Peter 4:12-13

Painful trails are simply a part of life.   In fact, Jesus assures us that we will all go through them at some point over the course of our lives.  While we must experience some pain, God promises us that He loves us and that He will use those painful times to help us grow stronger in our walk of faith.

Trails are a lot like exercise-the more we go through them, the stronger we become.  How else can we learn to endure, grow our faith, and learn patience?  The pain we feel now is only temporary but it also provides us with an opportunity to depend on God and show our joy as we share in the sufferings like Christ.

Bad times come and go, but the development of our godly character is continuous and will last until we go to our eternal dwelling in heaven.